Ear cleaner

ABSTRACT

An ear cleaner is provided that includes an elongated handle, a spoon, and a disc intermediate the spoon and the disc.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. design patent application No. 29/567,975, filed Jun. 14, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

This disclosure relates to a device for ear cleaning.

BACKGROUND

Ear cleaners are known to remove debris, such as ear wax, from an ear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ear cleaner;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the ear cleaner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the ear cleaner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the ear cleaner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the ear cleaner of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the ear cleaner of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIG. 1, an ear cleaner 10 is provided having a handle 12, a spoon 14, and a disc 16 intermediate the handle 12 and spoon 14. The spoon 14 includes a neck 16 and a bowl 18 for scooping debris off of a surface, such as removing ear wax from a user's ear. The bowl 18 includes an opening 20 and a rim 22 extending about the opening 20.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the handle 12 has a length 24 and a groove 26 extending along the handle 12 for a majority of the length 24, such as extending substantially the entire length 24. The groove 26 has an inwardly curved surface 28. The groove 26 facilitates manipulation of the ear cleaner 10 by permitting a user to advance a tip of her finger into the groove 26 to help steer the ear cleaner 10. The groove 26 includes a groove lower surface 30 and the ear cleaner 10 has material, such as a ramp 32, extending upwardly from the groove lower surface 30 toward the disc 16. The ramp 32 strengthens the ear cleaner 10.

The ear cleaner 10 also includes a transverse gripping portion 40 having portions 42, 44 that extend outward from the handle 12 transverse to the length 24 of the handle 12. The transverse gripping portion 40 has a recess 45, which may receive a user's finger.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the bowl 18 includes a bowl inner surface 50 and a bowl outer surface 52. The bowl 18 includes a slot 54 extending from the bowl inner surface 50 to the outer bowl surface 52. In one form, the slot 54 has a length oriented to extend parallel to the length 24 of the handle 12. The slot 54 may be elongated.

With reference to FIG. 3, the handle 12 includes an outwardly extending curved surface 56. The outwardly curved surface 56 may extend for a majority of the length 24 of the handle 12.

The spoon 14 has a length 60 that is less than the length 24 of the handle 12. Further, the ear cleaner 10 may have an overall length 62.

With reference to FIG. 4, the rim 22 of the bowl 18 has an upper rear edge 70 and an upper front edge 72. The upper front edge 72 is disposed a distance 74 below the upper rear edge 70.

The handle 12 includes a transition portion 80 that includes the ramp 32 and lateral ramps 82. The transition portion 80 includes a cross-sectional dimension 84 that is larger than a cross-sectional dimension 86 of the handle 12.

The neck 16 includes a tapered portion 90 having a cross-sectional dimension 92 that is larger than a cross-sectional dimension 94 of the neck 16.

With reference to FIG. 4, the traverse gripping portion 40 may have a tapered portion 100 that transitions to a thin portion 102. The thin portion 102 has a cross-sectional dimension 104 that is less than the dimension 86 of the handle 12.

With references to FIGS. 4-6, the disc 16 has a rounded annular edge 110 and flat surfaces 112, 114 on opposite sides of the disc 16.

With reference to FIG. 5, the groove of the handle 12 includes longitudinal edges 120, 122 on opposite sides of the groove 26. The longitudinal edges 120, 122 extend from the transverse gripping portion 40 to the disc 16. The longitudinal edges 120, 122 provide easy to grip structures extending along the handle 12. The outwardly curved surface 56 may extend from one of the longitudinal edges 120, 122, such as from one of the longitudinal edges 120, 122 to the other. The outwardly curved surface 56 may extend from one of the longitudinal edges 120, 122 around the handle 12.

The transverse gripping portion 40 includes undercuts 123, 125 that form recesses in the transverse gripping portion 40.

The ear cleaner may have a unitary, one-piece construction. The ear cleaner may be made of plastic, such as injection-molded plastic.

While the foregoing description is with respect to specific examples, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations of the above that fall within the scope of the concepts described herein and the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An ear cleaner comprising: an elongated handle having a length; a finger-engaging groove of the handle extending along the length of the handle; a spoon; and a disc is intermediate the handle and the spoon; wherein the handle includes a pair of longitudinal edges on opposite sides of the finger-engaging groove that are separated by the finger-engaging groove and extend along the length of the handle; and an inwardly-extending surface of the handle extending into the handle transverse to the length, the inwardly-extending surface connecting the longitudinal edges and defining at least a portion of the finger-engaging groove.
 2. The ear cleaner of claim 1 wherein the finger-engaging groove of the handle extends for a majority of the handle.
 3. The ear cleaner of claim 1 wherein the handle includes an outwardly curved portion extending from one of the longitudinal edges.
 4. The ear cleaner of claim 1 wherein the spoon includes a bowl having a slot, the slot having a length extending parallel to the length of the handle.
 5. The ear cleaner of claim 1 wherein the spoon includes a bowl having an upper front outer edge and an upper rear outer edge, the upper front outer edge being lower than the upper rear outer edge.
 6. The ear cleaner of claim 1 wherein the handle has a first cross-section dimension perpendicular to the length adjacent the disc, the ear cleaner further comprising: a thin portion having a second cross-section dimension perpendicular to the length spaced from the disc that is smaller than the first cross-section dimension.
 7. The ear cleaner of claim 1 wherein the ear cleaner has a unitary, one-piece construction.
 8. The ear cleaner of claim 1 wherein the ear cleaner has an overall length and further comprises a thin portion, the handle being intermediate the thin portion and the disc; and wherein the thin portion has a cross-sectional dimension normal to the overall length that is less than a cross-sectional dimension of the handle normal to the overall length.
 9. The ear cleaner of claim 1 wherein the handle includes an outwardly curved portion extending from one of the longitudinal edges.
 10. The ear cleaner of claim 1 wherein the ear cleaner has a unitary, one-piece construction.
 11. The ear cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a ramp extending from the inwardly-extending surface of the handle to the disc.
 12. An ear cleaner comprising: an elongated handle having a length; a groove of the handle extending along the length of the handle; a spoon; and a disc is intermediate the handle and the spoon, wherein the handle includes a pair of longitudinal edges on opposite sides of the groove that extend along the length of the handle, wherein the longitudinal edges each include a first portion that extends parallel to the first portion of the other longitudinal edge and a second portion that extends toward the second portion of the other longitudinal edge.
 13. The ear cleaner of claim 12 wherein the groove of the handle extends for a majority of the handle.
 14. The ear cleaner of claim 12 wherein the spoon includes a bowl having a slot, the slot having a length extending parallel to the length of the handle.
 15. The ear cleaner of claim 12 wherein the spoon includes a bowl having an upper front outer edge and an upper rear outer edge, the upper front outer edge being lower than the upper rear outer edge.
 16. The ear cleaner of claim 12 wherein the handle has a first cross-section dimension perpendicular to the length adjacent the disc and a second cross-section dimension perpendicular to the length spaced from the disc that is smaller than the first cross-section dimension. 